Working on a new campaign or have one coming up soon? Then your team or ad agency will once again be tasked with creating an effective ad—one that activates buying intent. A clear briefing is crucial in this process. Based on insights from testing over 15.000 commercials in the MRI scanner, we often see that a few very simple, yet highly important elements for creating an effective ad are frequently overlooked.
That’s why we’ve listed them for you—so you can keep them in mind throughout the creative process. Or simply forward them to your ad agency.
Perhaps the most important element of any ad: emotion. What emotions are triggered in the consumer when they watch your ad?
A correct balance between positive and negative emotions is key. And by “balance,” we mean there should always be more positive than negative emotions. If your ad mainly evokes negative feelings, those emotions will stick—and worse, they’ll be linked to whatever you’re advertising. The brain creates an association between the negative emotion and your brand or product, which can ultimately lead to consumers not buying or choosing your offer.
However, showing certain images that evoke negative emotions is sometimes necessary to effectively convey your message. If it's essential to include negative imagery, try to follow a specific pattern:
- Start by showing the negative scenes—such as a problem, challenging situation, or frustration.
- Then follow up with positive scenes, like the solution to the problem or the uplifting outcome of a
difficult situation.
After the negative scenes, the contrasting positivity will come across as even more uplifting. This leaves the viewer with a positive feeling, which has a direct impact on purchase intent. Procter & Gamble often use this successful formula—and even won an Effie Award for it (an award recognizing effectiveness in advertising).
One of the cornerstones of psychology is social influence. We (often unconsciously) like to do what others do—because it makes us feel like we belong. This second tip for developing an effective ad has multiple layers, as social influence comes in many forms, all of which can be leveraged in your campaign.
First of all, given the importance of social influence, it’s no surprise that our attention is automatically drawn to the facial expressions of others. We also tend to look where actors in the ad are looking or pointing—this is known as gaze cuing. Want to direct attention to a specific part of the screen, like your logo? Make sure the actors are looking or pointing in that direction. This doesn’t just apply to people—animals, toys, or even stuffed animals can have the same effect.
Secondly, another important factor that ties into both social influence and Tip 1: make sure the actors don’t show negative facial expressions. These can imply a negative judgment of the product or service and trigger negative emotions in the viewer. As mentioned earlier, negative emotions can lower purchase intent. You can read more about this in this learning.
Lastly, it’s crucial that the actor(s) are actually shown using the product or service you’re advertising. When we see someone else consuming something, we’re much more likely to want it ourselves. This is due to mental simulation in the brain—where we start to "experience" what the actor is feeling. Think of someone sipping a delicious coffee, taking a bite of a tasty ice cream, or enjoying a relaxing vacation. But this only works if the action is clear and concrete. The opposite is also true: if the actor doesn’t actually consume the product, it can reduce activity in the brain’s reward areas and create a sense of mistrust.
Showing moving visuals in your ads is effective, as movement naturally grabs attention—the eye is instinctively drawn to it. So make sure that what moves is something important, like your logo or slogan (have it slide in or appear dynamically).
It’s important, however, that the moving visuals don’t move too quickly—this can have the opposite effect. Think of an ad with rapid-fire imagery and fast scene transitions. Viewers won’t be able to fully absorb the details. Instead, they’ll focus their attention on the center of the screen and only process what appears there, missing key information shown elsewhere.
In short: use motion to attract the viewer’s attention, but make sure the visuals don’t move too fast. A great example is the Bloemenbureau commercial shown below, which we measured using fMRI and Eye Tracking. Read more about it here.
While people love to laugh, many humorous commercials actually go against our core advice on positive emotional activation. Often, the humor relies on laughing at someone else’s misfortune—schadenfreude. While it may seem like harmless fun, our unconscious brain tends to respond negatively. After all, it’s only funny because it’s happening to someone else—if it happened to you, it wouldn’t be. Seeing someone else’s mishap can subconsciously trigger a desire to avoid that behavior or situation.
That’s why it’s important to use humor in a way that works for your brand—especially when using it to capture attention or strengthen brand image. A smart approach is to show a clear solution to the humorous scenario. This way, the humor stays light, relatable, and linked to a positive outcome. Read more about it here.
When one scene transitions into another, there’s a brief moment where the brain momentarily loses focus—this is known as the attention drop, typically lasting 1–2 seconds. That’s why it’s best not to show important information immediately after a scene change, as the brain is unlikely to register it. Make sure your transitions are smooth, and avoid placing key elements like your logo right after a cut. If you do, keep them on screen a bit longer. Read more about it here.
These 5 tips together form the foundation for creating an effective ad. Of course, there are many other elements to consider—but these are your starting point.
Want to know if your ad (concept) will be effective? Test it first!
Download the Ad & Concept Learnings and feel free to get in touch with us.